Personal injury attorney Brian Loncar, known across Texas for his series of "Strong Arm" commercials, died last month due to an accidental cocaine overdose, according to a medical examiner's report obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office said the autopsy showed hypertension and hardening of the arteries were secondary factors in the 56-year-old lawyer's death.
Loncar's body was found inside his car Dec. 4, 2016, parked outside his Dallas office, a week after his 16-year-old daughter Grace committed suicide and two days after her funeral.
Despite the ME's scientific finding, Loncar's family said he died of a broken heart. His family issued the following statement Thursday afternoon:
“The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office released a finding that our beloved Brian Loncar’s death was caused by an accidental drug overdose. While we accept this scientific finding, those of us who were closest to him already knew the cause of his death. Brian died of a broken heart.
Brian’s passing followed his daughter Grace’s death by suicide. These are unimaginable losses for our family. Hopefully, these events will serve as heartbreaking reminders that we all need to reach out and care for our loved ones - every day.
Our family appreciates the outpouring of support as well as the efforts to give us the privacy and space we need to mourn Brian and Grace. We are prayerful that the community will help us examine ways to prevent these types of tragedies from shattering another home and family.”
In his daughter's obituary, Loncar wrote that Grace had suffered from deep depression since she was 11 years old. Following the service, Loncar wrote on Facebook, "I wish you could have seen both the pain and love that the suicide of a 16-year-old girl causes."
The DMN reported Thursday that Loncar long suffered with addiction to both alcohol and drugs and had been sober for decades until just a few years ago.
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Following the death of his daughter, Loncar established "live with Grace - The Grace Loncar Foundation" to combat "the epidemic of teenage depression." After Brian Loncar's accidental death, the foundation was renamed The Grace and Brian Loncar Foundation. Donations to the foundation can be made here.
